Sometimes All You Need Is One
by Broody-N-Cheery-4Ever
Summary: AU. Brooke Davis, a new student at Tree Hill High, learns not every story is the same. Especially when she meets a cocky basketball player with intense blue eyes... BL eventually with some NH.. Rated T
1. One Person To Make It Through The Day

Hey There People! I've been meaning to write a One Tree Hill story for a very long time now. This Idea suddenly came into my head, so I just had to write. Hope you guys enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the Characters. Nor do I own any of the songs I may use in the future.

**Summary:** Brooke Davis had it all, friends, money, popularity, but then her father told her that she was moving. Now Brooke must start over, and this time she wants to be a better person. Things might not go as well as planned when she meets a cocky basketball player by the name of Lucas Scott, a guy that she just can't seem to shake off.

Mostly AU. Lucas and Nathan are half brothers, but they have always gotten along since they were kids. Haley and Nathan are not dating. Luke and Haley are not best friends. Lucas and Peyton used to date. After their break up, they remained really close friends.

* * *

**Chapter 1: One Person To Make it Through the Day**

Brooke stepped through the doors nervously. She looked around at a place she had never seen before, yet had known for years. The story was the same, it always would be: High school. From the sports teams, to the chess club, and everyone in between; they all had a story. Brooke could guess most of them. The jocks were dating the cheerleaders, the stoners were most likely in their corners braiding each other's hair, the skateboarders were talking about the latest emo band which no other student had ever heard of, the nerds were in the tutoring centre, and here was Brooke, in the midst of all the chaos, having no idea where to go.

Brooke had been fortunate enough to be the captain of the cheerleading squad at her last school, so the ramifications of being least popular were left to those who were. It wasn't as though she had been downright cruel to them, because she had acknowledged them on a few occasions, but it was that her friends were, and sometimes doing nothing about it felt worse. At that moment, Brooke felt a lot closer to those unpopular students.

Brooke let out a sigh of frustration. She had only walked through the front doors and she was already lost.

She noticed a girl standing next to her with long dirty blonde hair, leaning against a tall guy who was wearing a sports jacket, flirting with him no doubt. The typical jock and cheerleader.

Brooke tapped the girl on the shoulder, "Umm.. Excuse me, I'm new here, and I was wonder-"

The girl turned her head and sized Brooke up, gave her a cold look, and turned back to her 'boyfriend' before walking away, leaving Brooke in mid-sentence.

Brooke grinned scornfully to herself and muttered sarcastically, "Well that's just great! I'm going to absolutely love it here."

Maybe today just wasn't her day. She glanced at her watch and guessed that she could get out of here, go for a drive somewhere, and no one would notice. Well why would they? Nobody here even knew she existed. This sounded like a plan to Brooke.

As she quickly turned around in an attempt to walk out the doors, she collided with pile of books that a small girl with dark auburn hair was carrying. Every book both girl had had now crashed onto the floor.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I was so not looking where I was going! Let me get those." The girl said very quickly as she bent down to pick up the fallen books. Brooke smiled gently as she too bent down to help pick up the books.

"No, its my fault. I had no idea where I was going. I'm new here, Brooke Davis." Brooke smiled and held out a hand, which the girl shook graciously.

"Haley James." she smiled back, "Where'd you move from?"

"L.A. actually, but I was born here. We moved to the west coast when I was two. But my dad got a job offer back here, so here I am!"

"Wow. But I'm sure you'll love it here. You'll fit in just fine"

Brooke laughed and whispered to herself, "not according to some people around here"

"What?"

"Oh nothing, never mind," Brooke covered quickly.

Haley didn't seem to notice the change in attitude of Brooke, instead, she picked up one of Brooke's notebooks and studied some writing that was on one cover.

"These lyrics, they're really familiar," she said as she began humming to herself.

"Yeah, it's my favorite song," Brooke smiled, "How to Save a Life." she and Haley finished in unison. Both girls laughed.

"I love that song! The Fray is awesome, they're my favorite. Did you know they are playing in Charlotte in a couple weeks? I didn't want to go alone, but you can go with me if you'd like!" Haley said excitedly, all in one breath.

"Sure, that sounds awesome Haley!" Brooke giggled, "Umm, if it's no trouble, would you be able to show me where Principal.." Brooke looked at a tiny slip of paper in her palm, "Turner's office is? I really have no idea where it is."

"Oh that's no problem whatsoever! But if you don't mind, I have to stop by the tutoring center for a second. I need a sheet so that I can fill in my hours."

"Tutoring center? I would never put you down as the type of person who would need tutoring. Not with all those books." referring to the massive stack of books in Haley's arms.

Haley suppressed a giggle, "No, actually I do the tutoring. I look at it as giving back you know? But come on, I'll show you around."

Brooke mentally kicked herself in the head for what she had just been thinking about the tutoring center. Because standing in front of her was a really awesome girl who was willing to be Brooke's friend, probably when Brooke needed it the most. "Thank you so much Haley! You have no idea what I would do without you right now."

Haley let out a slight laugh, "You would probably be running straight out that door again!"

Brooke laughed too, but for an entirely different reason. She had met Haley less than ten minutes ago, and yet it felt as though Haley knew her better than she knew herself.

_Haley had been the one person Brooke needed to make it through that day._

* * *

That chapter was dedicated to you Michelley! Kind of Life imitating Art don't ya say! LOL .. I know this chapter was really short, but the others will get longer… I have really high hopes for this story.. I hope you guys will like it!

Next Chapter: Brooke meets some more people on her first day at Tree Hill High School .. Including a certain blue eyed guy!

Please Review it guys! Its what i live for! lol...

B Noseworthy xoxox


	2. One Person To Take Your Breath Away

_Britt here! I was so caught up in this story that I decided to write another chapter… Thank you all so much for the Amazing reviews! They're the most I've ever gotten for a single post! You guys are Great! Keep it up! Its probably why there's another update this early .. Lol .. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Tree Hill..._

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**Chapter Two: One Person to Take Your Breath Away**

Brooke huffed as she crashed into the desk of her Geography class. Haley had shown her around the whole school, yet it still made no sense to her. It was lucky the she made it to her first two classes in time, both of which she had with Haley. But Haley had AP math now, and that wasn't exactly Brooke's strong point.

Brooke looked at her schedule, trying to figure out whether she had to take a left or a right for her next class. Haley's directions had been very blunt, and Brooke believed the Haley was all too excited to even explain the school to someone. She told her basically the lives of every teacher, including which ones were stoners and which were sleeping with other students. Brooke tried to keep up but it just wasn't happening, seeing as though Haley seemed to be talking at 500 words per minute. So Brooke simply nodded and followed.

So far, Haley was the only friend Brooke had made. But she had seen flyers posted around, that there was cheerleading tryouts later this week. Maybe she could make it on the squad. Meet some new people there.

Brooke realized that she had no idea where to go for her next class, but lunch was next so she could talk to Haley. All she had to do was make it through this class, which was definitely going to be a problem, considering the monotone teacher that was standing in front of the class.

Brooke began to shut her eyes, completely unaware of her surroundings. She had almost fallen asleep when she was startled awake with someone whispering in her ear.

"Now, why would you want to shut those beautiful eyes, Pretty Girl?" The masculine voice said simply.

Without turning around, Brooke replied coolly, "Maybe it's so I don't have to constantly be seeing faces like yours walking around this school"

He laughed then spoke, "Well aren't you saucy! Maybe you could bring that over to my place some time?"

Brooke began to enrage. It upset her when guys treated her like just another piece of ass, "Listen here Creep," Brooke turned around, and in in instant she forgot everything she wanted to say. Because staring back at her were the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. Brooke seemed to lose her voice, she couldn't speak, she could hardly breathe. Instead, she turned back around, away from those eyes.

She stared straight ahead then finally whispered, "Just mind your own business and I won't have to rip out your jugular," she added with a malicious grin, "Ohh, and don't ever call me Pretty Girl again"

"Okay," the guy whispered then added, "Pretty girl. My name is Lucas by the way. Just thought you might need to know that, cause you might be screaming it later on"

Brooke chose not to answer, that would just be giving him what he wanted. She was far too angry now though, and she knew that if she was to reciprocate, it would disrupt the entire school, let alone her Geography class. The fact that worried Brooke most was that, deep down she was letting this guy get to her more than any normal guy would. Because she had heard all the lame pick up lines before, and all the sexist comments, and they hadn't bothered her this much. What right did this guy have? This infuriated Brooke even more.

* * *

When the bell rang, Brooke made no delay in escaping the classroom. She found her locker, jammed her books in, and ran to find Haley.

Finally she found her in the lineup of the school cafeteria.

"Oh My God. You do not know how long I had been looking for you! I need to tell you about this horrible guy that sits behind me in Geography! It was only my first class, how the hell am I gonna make it through the rest!" Brooke rambled while out of breath.

Haley let out a giggle at her new friend, "Okay, you can tell me all about him, just let me get my lunch first. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay. Sure"

"Brooke you're rambling." Haley controlled the laughter that was about to emerge.

"I know I am, and I hate it!" Brooke pouted.

Haley continued to laugh at Brooke as she complained about the horrible selection of food that was being served.

"Brooke?" Haley interrupted in the middle of Brooke's discussion of why they serve meatloaf at school's.

"What?" Brooke asked, eye's wide.

"I think this is turning out to be the start of a really awesome friendship," Haley smiled.

Brooke grinned, giving everyone full view of her dimples, "I think so too!"

* * *

Brooke and Haley sat to the table outside. Brooke was still dying to tell Haley about Lucas, but Haley insisted that it wait till after she had finished eating.

When Haley finished her diet soda, she motioned for Brooke to begin talking.

"Okay, so I was falling asleep and -"

Oh my God, You fell asleep!" Haley interrupted, shocked.

"No, I wasn't finished. I was falling asleep, but this guy whispered in my ear telling me that I shouldn't close my beautiful eyes. He was such an ass! And then I told him to mind his own damn business, but he wouldn't listen to me. God, I just wanted to turn around and slap him! I think he said his name was Lucas?"

Haley begun to laugh, then spoke, "Yeah, that would be Lucas Scott. One half of the legendary Scott brothers. Co-captain of the basketball team. That would be him."

"So has he always been this much of an ass?"

"No not really, he's only like that to the girls he really likes," then Haley looked as though she was thinking really hard, she added, " Which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

Brooke giggled. Haley was too cute.

Haley began to speak again, "But he used to go out with Peyton Sawyer for a really long time, three years I think. Everyone thought they were the perfect couple. They liked the same music, the same books, the same pleasures. But they broke up two months before school got out for the summer. I'm not really sure why, no one is, besides the two of them I guess. But I don't think he's an ass all the time. He's never really been an ass to me anyway, but I guess that would require them to actually talk to me," Haley added with a quiet laugh.

Brooke genuinely felt sorry for Haley, not for the fact that she wasn't popular, but for the fact that no one saw what an amazing person she actually was.

"I still don't like him," Brooke muttered, sinking down in her seat.

"I think you do." Haley said simply.

"What! I can so not believe that you think that! He's a pig! I think I hate him actually" Brooke defended.

Haley giggled, "Thin line, Brooke, a very thin line between the two. Why else would you be so hot and bothered by him?"

"I am so not hot and bothered!"

"Brooke, I'm only kidding!" Haley was laughing at Brooke's frustration.

Brooke was about to say something before someone else entered the conversation.

"Brooke, huh? That's a very nice name, though I prefer Pretty Girl." Lucas stood next to Haley, looking directly into Brooke's eyes. He wore a smirk on his face, and an eyebrow arched. Brooke could have swore that he was the devil himself. Lucas finished, "At least I'll know what to scream now. Bye Brooke. Haley." He nodded in Haley's direction.

Haley nodded back, yet Brooke remained unmoved, jaw dropped.

"God, I hate this school!" She whined, dropping her head to the lunch table.

_Though Brooke would never want to admit it, Lucas had been the one person who could take her breath away._

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Dun dun dun… It was a little longer than last chapter … so there was her first encounter with Luke… probably not how some of you would have liked … but I promise, there is depth to this character… I'll pull it out of him somehow.. Lol … I hope you liked it .. Review Please :D

B Noseworthy xoxox


	3. One Person To Cheer You Up

_Hey Guys! I am SOOOO sorry for the lack of updates lately… In my defense, Junior Year is a BITCH! I've been swamped with homework, and my mood lately hasn't helped with the progress of this story (Not to mention… Season 4!) … but on the upside, I already have it planned out where I would like this story to go, and future chapters already written… But your Input is ALWAYS appreciated.. _

_Again … THANK YOU soooo much for the amazing reviews! I was over whelmed by the amount I received.. You guys are awesome:D_

_**Disclaimer:** I don't not own One Tree Hill or any of the Characters … _

_With no further adieu Here's chapter 3!_

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**Chapter 3: One Person to Cheer You Up**

Haley sat in her desk in the Biology classroom, head propped up by her hand. She was trying as best she could to pay attention to the teacher who was explaining to them the structure of amino proteins. She would have been able to do this with ease had it not been for Brooke sitting in the seat behind her.

"Ugh God! Would you just look at him!" Brooke said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah I know," Haley replied without even a hint of emotion, "He's being an ass again right?"

"How would you even know, you didn't even look at him! And for the record, yes he is."

"Brooke, it has only been four days since you met the guy, and already you spend 99 percent of the time we spend together talking about him. Get over it," Haley whispered jokingly, most likely afraid of getting a detention slip from the teacher, "I get it, he's an ass. But you don't need to repeat it ten thousand times a day," Haley silently giggled.

"I know! But just look at him!" Brooke turned around, and sure enough, in the row next to her, and two seats back, sat Lucas Scott, eyeing her slyly with an playful grin plastered across his face.

She had succeeded in avoiding him for the past couple of days. With the exception of a few classes they had together, she hadn't met up with him at all. Brooke had been very pleased with herself, she was even getting to know the school, including which corners she could dodge around had Lucas been headed her way. The classes that they did have together, Brooke managed to get a seat as far away as she could. Today, however, she was running a little late, and ended up being sat somewhat next to him … a little too close for comfort.

"God! That smirk!" Brooke groaned angrily, "You don't know how bad I would like to slap that off his face!"

Haley stared intently to the front of the class, "Brooke, are you intentionally trying to get us detention? Because if you don't keep your voice down, that is exactly where we're going after school instead of cheerleading tryouts," Haley sternly said under her breath, just loud enough for Brooke to hear.

"Calm down, Tutor Girl! Quit being so paranoid! You'll be able to get to your precious tutoring center in time," Brooke quipped jokingly.

"Ha, Tutor Girl! That's really funny, Tigger," Haley replied sarcastically.

Brooke laughed at Haley's worried expression, then patted her on the back, "You know I love you though right?"

"Sure, whatever you say."

Brooke chuckled, and before turning back to her book, snuck one last glance at Lucas. Oddly enough, he wasn't looking at her, but he was talking to a girl seated across from him. The girl had perfect golden curls, that reached her shoulders in length. She was beautiful, even Brooke would admit that. Her eyes were big and bright, and even her skin was flawless. Brooke felt a slight hint of satisfaction, and decided to take a page out of Haley's book and concentrate on her Bio… Well she would try at least.

* * *

"Are you sure you really want to do this, Brooke?" Haley said quietly.

"Of course I'm sure, Tutor Girl. It's cheerleading tryouts, where else would I be?" Brooke spoke cheerfully, while walking to the Fieldhouse.

"Umm I don't know. I know some places I could be… The tutoring center, the library, the cemetery, home slitting my wrists," Haley added with a sarcastic grin.

"Funny!" Brooke laughed, "Come on Haley J! How bad can it be? There probably won't even be that many girls ther-" Brooke lost the words when she opened the door to find about 25 girls lined up, cds in hand, waiting for their turn to perform. Brooke immediately felt her confidence level drop.

There was no way she would make it on the squad.

"What were you saying Brooke?" Haley grinned, noticing Brooke's fowl look.

"I was saying that slitting my wrists would be better than this. So if you would excuse me, that sounds like a good plan right now. Bye," Brooke turned to leave quickly, but Haley grabbed her by the wrist and turned her back towards the entrance.

"Like you said B. Davis," Haley whispered in to her ear, "How bad can it be?"

* * *

Brooke slumped down into her chair and watched as each girl nervously stepped in front of the panel of judges. Much to Brooke's delight, most of the girl's were horrible. Their movements were all wrong, not to mention their song choice.

Brooke giggled as one young girl ended her routine with what Brooke would have guessed to be a back flip. It didn't end too pretty. She leaned into Haley and said quietly, "What is this? Auditions for 'Crap! The Musical!'?" Haley burst into laughter.

But Brooke also noticed that there were a few girls that had a lot of talent. They had definite skills. Their routines were choreographed perfectly with the song they had chosen.

Haley had asked if Brooke wanted to go before her. Brooke declined. She needed more time to vent before she could walk up to the stage. So Haley grabbed her CD and timidly walked up to the front of the gym.

Brooke felt so proud of Haley in the moment. Haley had been dead set against doing this, but Brooke had convinced her to go for the moral support. Haley didn't seem to be the one to be reckless or act on impulses, so this was probably a big step to her. Hell, maybe it would even build Haley's self confidence a little more.

Brooke watched Haley as she inserted the disc into the stereo system. A memorable beat began to play and Haley started to move. Brooke's eyes shot open. She sat up straight and adjusted her eyes to make sure she was seeing right. Was Haley James dancing really good? In fact, Haley James was dancing amazingly! Brooke was stunned. She might actually lose the spot on the squad to Haley. Oddly enough, this didn't upset Brooke in the least.

When Haley finished, she mumbled a quick and quiet "Thank you," and stepped off the stage. Her face was bright red when she turned to look at Brooke, who was still staring at her in awe.

"What?" Haley asked, "Was I that bad?"

"BAD?" Brooke almost shouted, "How can you be bad? That was awesome! How come you never told me you could dance?"

Haley let out a sigh and giggled, "I really didn't think I could, and plus, the subject never came up."

"Haley, I've been talking about these tryouts for the past four days!"

Haley didn't get a chance to explain because a female voice interrupted, "Brooke… Davis?"

"Ohh God, that's me!" Brooke whined and took her CD from the chair next to her. As she made her way up the hall towards the stage she could recognize some of the faces that were to be judging her. In the middle, who Brooke assumed to be the captain was the same girl from her Biology class. The girl with the perfect hair, perfect eyes, and perfect smile, also had the perfect spot on the squad. Brooke was beginning to feel envious towards her.

Brooke started to play her CD, it was a remix of Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting". Brooke thought that everyone else would have chosen something like London Bridge or TKO. She wanted to be original. Hopefully that would get her somewhere.

She began her routine, slow at first, then easing into it. As the song progressed, she felt herself feeling lighter emotionally. It didn't matter what was going on around her, when she was dancing, it was all about her. The steps came naturally, each leading her closer to the prize.

She finished with a dimpled grin across her face. She looked at the girls in front of her, those that would decide her fate as a Ravens Cheerleader. She couldn't gather any information just by looking at their faces, some looked impressed, while others… well they looked at Brooke as though she was a stain on their freshly dry-cleaned satin mini skirt.

But Brooke had seen that look before… many times. She just learned not to let it get to her, but no matter how hard one tries, that feeling of insecurity always comes back to bite you in the ass.

The girl in the center of the table smiled at Brooke, the one with the perfect blonde curls, "Thanks Brooke. That was great." Brooke smiled back.

She turned around and walked back towards Haley, who was beaming, "Oh my God, Brooke! You were fantastic!"

"No I wasn't."

"Oh don't be so modest! You were great!" Brooke turned around to get a face full of luscious golden curls. The girl held out her hand for Brooke, "I'm Peyton. Peyton Sawyer. You're new here right?"

Brooke was stunned. This was Peyton Sawyer? The girl that Haley told her about? Lucas Scott's soul mate? Brooke shook her hand nervously. If she and Lucas had so much in common, did this mean that she would be the bitch of the century? But so far, she didn't seem half bad.

"Yeah I am. I moved from L.A."

"Wow, I've always wanted to go there. I've heard its beautiful."

Brooke felt herself warming up to Peyton, "It is, but you haven't seem anything until you've been to the coast. Believe me, its absolutely gorgeous."

Peyton grinned, "I'll take your word for it. Listen, I just wanted to let you know that you did really great today. I make no promises, cause there are still a few kinks to work out within the squad," She glanced over to a few cheerleaders that had harsh looks on their faces, "But there's a good chance that you'll make it on the squad. Actually, your friend too," motioning to Haley, who shifted uneasily. "There's a party at my friend's beach house tomorrow night if you'd two would like to come? It starts at 10, you'll see the place."

Brooke lit up, "Wow, thank you so much! We'll be there." She practically hugged Peyton as she bounced around. Peyton laughed at Brooke's enthusiasm as she turned around and left.

"I knew I called you Tigger for a reason! And I don't know if I can go to that party." Haley said.

"But this is awesome Tutor Girl! We are like both on the team! And we got an invite"

"the squad isn't confirmed yet!"

Brooke stopped Haley before she would bring her down, "Yet, exactly, but it will be! This is going to be so much fun. I think I might like this school just yet."

Brooke bent down to pick up her coat and CD that were resting in one of the chairs. There was a small piece of folded paper placed neatly on top of it. Brooke looked to Haley and questioned, "Did you put this here?"

"Wasn't me. I didn't see anyone around either."

"That's weird," Brooke unfolded the paper to find a message written on the inside.

_'Save the last dance for me, Cheery.  
I'll be waiting...  
See you at the party'_

Brooke smiled to herself. She felt that she should have known who wrote the note, but she didn't. What she did know was that this party would be like no others. She could hardly wait.

_Brooke's day had gone from unbearable to unbelievable… Sometimes all you need is that one person to cheer you up_.

* * *

_Okayyy … there it is … lol … not much I know… I've been writing for the party chapters ... I think they're gonna be my faves… I've already got them started so hopefully it wont take as long as it did to post this chapter … Anyways .. Review PLEASE! I love them sooo much .. You guys are awesome.._

_Britt xxx_


	4. One Person To Pull You Into Reality

B Again, Sorry for the long wait! I hope you guys haven't disowned me! Lol ..

Thank you for the AWESOME reviews! I absolutely LOVE reading them and because of them, I've decided on a little different angle for this story, beginning with this chapter. I'm hoping it will make the story, as a whole, better .. I wont ramble long this time .. Just a little warning: This chapter has a few accounts of harsh language .. Please don't be offended…

BTW.. the second part of this chapter is told through Haley's perspective.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing… unfortunately...

* * *

**Chapter 4: One Person To Pull You Into Reality**

Brooke lifted her perfectly coordinated pink cell phone and dialed the now-familiar phone number of Haley James. She twiddled her fingers on the her desk anxiously while waiting for her friend to pick up. The rings were persistent.

"Come on Haley! Pick up! I know you're there!" Brooke yelled to the non-responsive line.

"Hello?" came a breathless Haley from the other end of the phone.

"About damn time!!" Brooke yelled, "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Sorry Brooke, I couldn't find my phone. What's up?"

"What's Up? What's up is that there is less thank two hours until the party and you haven't gotten your ass over here yet to help me pick out what to wear," Brooke said all in one breath.

"It's okay Brooke. I can't come over right now my mom needs me for something, but I can help you from here if you like?"

"How are you going to do that?" Brooke questioned skeptically.

"Umm.. You just name out some stuff, detail it, and I'll tell you what I think about it."

Brooke sighed, defeated, "Fine, It'll do. So what are you wearing?"

"Ahh, I'm not sure yet. I'll pick something out that's up to your standards, don't worry" Haley laughed.

"Haha, Funny!" Brooke said, "Good point though. You're still meeting me there right?"

"Yeah, I am. Ten o'clock right?"

"That's right! And not a second later." Brooke said seriously, then added cheerfully, "So planning on hooking up with anyone tonight?"

"No," Haley said quickly, "And don't be thinking about playing matchmaker either! I don't wanna hook up with anyone thank you!"

"Ohh come on Hales!" Brooke whined, "You know, that Nathan guy has been looking at you all week."

"Nathan? As in Nathan Scott? As in Lucas Scott's brother?"

"Ugh," Brooke winced, "Poor guy! But yeah, him! He gave you the nod yesterday!"

"Oh Shut up Brooke! I've known Nathan forever. We used to be best friends, until he got in with the popular crowd," Haley said quietly, "He never gave me a nod."

"No, he gave you 'THE' nod," Brooke corrected happily.

"Same difference," Brooke opened her mouth to oppose, but Haley continued, "You know what? Screw my mom, I'm coming over okay?"

Brooke literally jumped into the air, "Yay!" she squealed, "but be quick!"

"Will do," Haley replied, "Okay, see ya!"

"Bye." Brooke spoke before closing her cell. She went to grab a pair of shoes in her closet. 'Which ones to choose?' she thought to herself. Then she noticed a bottle hidden behind a few boxes in the back of the closet. She didn't think it would hurt, Haley was coming over, they could walk to the party… a little vodka before the party wouldn't kill her.

* * *

Haley entered Brooke's bedroom from the door that lead directly from the back driveway. She scanned the room. There was no sign of Brooke, but she noticed a half empty liquor bottle next to Brooke's bed. "God, where are you Brooke," she whispered quietly to herself. As if on cue, the sound of Brooke's high pitched giggle could be heard. Haley suddenly felt her heart go into her throat as she also heard the sound of something... or someone... come crashing to the floor.

"Brooke?!" came the angry voice of a male adult, "What the hell is going on?!"

Haley stood completely still. She didn't dare go outside the bedroom.

"What does it look like, Daddy?" Brooke still had her usual cheery attitude, yet this sentence held a great amount of sarcasm.

"Brooke, have you been drinking?" her father asked.

"Noooo," again with the sarcasm.

"How much sense do you have, girl?" Her father snapped loudly, "Is this your idea of a good time?!"

"It's yours isn't it?" Brooke said coldly. Mr. Davis chose to ignore his daughter's last comment… or maybe he didn't hear it? Brooke was speaking in her almost-whisper voice and Haley could tell that she was becoming very upset. No amount of alcohol could keep her from feeling.

Haley was almost afraid to breathe. She could feel a lump forming in her throat. She considered leaving Brooke's house but she knew she had to stick this out, for Brooke's sake.

Brooke's father's voice began to blare once again, "How long has this been going on?!"

Brooke's voice also rose and soon she was shouting, "Well you would know, if you weren't so damn blind!! Or maybe if you even gave a damn at all!! That's why we here wasn't it? To actually be a family this time? Without the big company, maybe you could have some time to spend with us, Dad," Brooke's voice became low and intent once again, and Haley could only assume that she was looking at her mother, "Oh, what's wrong Mom? At a loss for words tonight, huh? Too much of a reality check for ya?!"

"Why, Brooke?" her mother pleaded calmly, "Why?"

"Oh my god?! Do you hear yourself right now? You wanna know why? Why don't you look to yourselves for this one!!" Haley could feel Brooke's rage grow by the second.

"Brookie-" her mother continued to plead with her.

"Don't 'Brookie' me! This is partly your fault!! Look at the fucking, goddamn role models that I had growing up!! One was popping pills, drinking vodka, and passing out on the kitchen floor, while the other had a joint in one hand, a flask of whiskey in the other, and couldn't keep his dick out of any woman except his fucking wife!!! You guys deserve a round of applause, because it's a miracle I turned out as sane as I did!!" Brooke's voice was barely above a whisper, but was intent and filled to the brim with all the rage she had stored up over the years

Haley could feel a tear slide down her cheek. Brooke didn't deserve this and it was just becoming clear to Haley what Brooke must have gone through as a child and why she now put up such a strong front. Haley walked over to the door. She sat down and looked around the doorway just enough so that she could witness what was going on without being seen.

From what Haley could see, Brooke had trails of mascara left on her cheeks from the tears she had shed. She was still crying, but Haley could see how brave she was as well. Brooke had never confronted her parents before, but she was doing a hell of a job.

Mrs. Davis was also crying. Haley believed that Brooke's last comment had made her speechless. She was holding a hand to her mouth, trying to fight back sobs that were surfacing.

Mr. Davis spoke up again, "Well if you're as much like you're mother as you say you are, then it's a fair assumption to say that, what's his name… Shane? He was probably sleeping with some other broad every spare minute you left him alone. Though I thought you would at least go for someone with a higher income… that you don't get from your mother."

Brooke's rage boiled over, "DON'T YOU DARE!! DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!! How can you even bring that up!?! He was more of a man than you will ever be!! He had showed me more love that year than you two have shown me my ENTIRE LIFE!!"

Brooke's father responded, "Probably only to get in your pants. Probably wasn't that hard either!"

"WOULD YOU FUCKING SHUT UP!?!?!"

"Brooke," Mrs. Davis joined the conversation again, she spoke slowly, "Don't talk to your father like that."

Brooke looked to each of her parents, a questioning look on her face, also mixed with disgust, "I cannot believe this! I cannot believe that you would pick up for him, after he just said those things about you, about me, your own daughter!! Hell, you're just as bad as he is!! You're worse!! You let him treat us like this for years!! You're nothing but a hypocritical BITCH!!"

Mrs. Davis walked towards Brooke, her arm extended, which only set Brooke off more.

"Come on!!" Brooke taunted, "Come on, hit me!! I dare you!! HIT ME!! It's not like you ever loved me anyway so what would it matter? I'm only a mistake so I can take a few good hits right? HIT ME!!" Brooke screamed.

Mrs. Davis' wrist snapped and instantaneously collided with Brooke's jaw. Haley sat watching, stunned with tears in her eyes as Brooke lifted a hand to the place of contact. She looked at her mother with wide eyes and ran past her, past her father, and down the hall to her room.

Haley jolted up from the door as Brooke burst into the room, sobs taking over. Brooke sat on the edge of her bed, staring into the darkness, a hand still covering the area where her mother had struck her.

"Brooke?" Haley whispered, "Are you okay?"

Brooke still managing to control her sobs struggled to say, "Oh my god, Haley. I'm sorry."

Haley got out of her bed and went over to Brooke's, sat down and wrapped her arms around her, "Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about!"

Brooke stared into the stillness, unmoving, "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Haley struggled to fight back tears, "It's okay Brooke. Everything's going to be okay!" Haley reassured her, "Is there anything you want me to do?"

Brooke didn't listen to Haley, instead she got up from her bed and began to walk across her room, towards the door, "I gotta go," She mumbled to herself.

"Brooke," Haley called to her, quiet, as not to disturb her parents, "Please don't leave!"

"I'm sorry," Brooke repeated, unable to look Haley in the eye, as she opened the door and and let it shut behind her.

Haley ran to the door, letting it fly open. She began to run after Brooke, who was already in her VW Bug and starting the car. The rain was beginning to fall. Thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Brooke! Come back!" Haley yelled, tears mixing with rain that had fallen on her delicate face.

Haley fell to the wet ground in sobs as she witnessed Brooke's car leave the driveway and start for the highway.

How had a night that had so much promise turn into something out of a horror movie.

_Sometimes all you need is one person to pull you into reality.. No matter how hard that reality might be._

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Okay guys .. There it was .. I know I kinda promised you guys a party scene .. But I decided to go with this chapter instead… This is kind of a Two Parter chapter … so look for the second part soon …

I hope you liked it!! REVIEW!!!

Britt.. xoxox


	5. One Person to Rescue You From Reality

I only have to say sorry you guys for taking so long with this .. I hope this chapter can make up for it somewhat.

A BIG thank you to all reviewers! Please keep them coming! The more I get the quicker I'll get these chapters up...

_Flashbacks are in Italics!_

_**Song Lyrics are Bold and in Italics.**_

* * *

**Chapter 5: One Person to Rescue you from Reality**

Brooke stared intently out the windshield in front of her. She didn't know where she was driving. Truthfully, she didn't know the streets that well yet anyway. But tonight was different. She didn't care that she didn't know the streets that well. She didn't care that it was raining and the roads were slippery. She didn't care that she was still drunk. She didn't care that she had just told her parents to basically go screw themselves. None of that mattered anymore. All that she cared about was driving… keeping both hands on that steering wheel… taking the turns when she felt like it.

She hadn't noticed if the light was red or green when she speeded past the intersection, but she would have guess it to be red, considering the horn from another car that was still ringing in her ears.

"Damn it!" She shouted, "Why the hell do they have to make those things so loud!"

Brooke closed her eyes for a split second, remembering the words and images that were flooding her mind.

_"Probably only to get in your pants. Probably wasn't that hard either!"_

Was that really how much her father thought of her. She had moved to Tree Hill to escape all of this. She wanted a better life than she had before. But she should have known that her parents would never change.

_"Come on, hit me!! I dare you!! HIT ME!! It's not like you ever loved me anyway so what would it matter? I'm only a mistake so I can take a few good hits right? HIT ME!"_

Her own mother actually hit her. It wasn't as though she hadn't deserved it, because she did. But for her own mother to actually go through with it… Brooke couldn't comprehend it.

Tears rolled down her cheeks for what seemed to be the thousandth time that night. She didn't bother to wipe them away. She just let them fall and kept her grip on the wheel.

A flash of lightening illuminated Tree Hill, the houses, cars, even an old basketball court next to the river. It was funny how something could light up a whole town in one instant making it seem as a whole, yet it remain to be completely dark underneath. Who knew how many secrets this town was keeping. Hell, her family had enough for a small city.

The thunder rolled around her, drowning out the sound of the rain hitting the car and her quiet sobs.

The car was shaking with the wind. The wipers could barely keep the rain off the window, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to see the road. The tears, alcohol, and thoughts of the night she had just experienced, also aided in impairing Brooke's vision.

Brooke unknowingly sped up, images once again flashing in her mind.

_A lonely 6-year old brunette girl sat on the swing set of her school's playground. She solemnly traced shapes and patterns in the sand with the tips of her toes. Her head was bent low, her big hazel eyes were watering, yet not a single tear was shed. All the other children were gone home, but not Brooke. Everyday was like this, why would this one be any different._

_The teacher on duty, who had watched the last parent pick up their daughter twenty minutes ago, noticed Brooke sitting on the swing, slowly moving back and forth, "Brooke, honey, your mom isn't here yet. You should come inside, it's starting to get chilly out here. I'll wait with you by the door, okay?" she said sweetly. _

_Brooke simply nodded and made her way to the enormous building she considered more of a home than her own_.

Brooke inhaled deeply. Even at six years old, she had known her parents were less involved than most. Yet she had always held a small hope, that one day, they would change. That one day, they would be there at exactly three o'clock waiting by the doors with a smile on their face. That it wouldn't be the Maid who had opted to pick up the forgotten daughter of their boss first.

Such a small hope.

Brooke swerved out of the way of a fallen branch that was blocking the road. Without hesitation she set back on her course. Lightening flashed once again, followed by the booming thunder. The rain was seeming to die down somewhat.

_Brooke noticed an envelope lying face down on her computer desk. Picking it up she realized that the sender hadn't been bothered to even seal it. She pulled out a card and read it to herself, "To our daughter on her 13th Birthday."_

_It would have been sweet, Brooke thought, had it been three months earlier. She tossed the outdated card into the wastebasket, the place where all her hopes and dreams seemed to go lately._

"Ha!" Brooke laughed sarcastically to herself. What kind of parents forgot their own daughters birthday? Apparently hers did. It was the same on Christmas too. Whenever she would wake up she would find her parents gone, probably to some tropical island, and a small present at the foot of her bed. They never even decorated a tree. She dreaded having to leave school for the Christmas holidays. She never understood why everyone else were so excited.

She was such a fool! She actually believed them when they said they were going to try and be a 'real' family. That was that only reason why she moved to this town. They promised her. Why couldn't this be the one promise they kept?

_**Help, I have done it again  
I have been here many times before  
Hurt myself again today  
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame**_

Headlights shone from a distance. The rain had almost stopped, yet the highway was still partially flooded. The lights grew closer, almost blinding Brooke in her intoxicated state. Squinting through the brightness she noticed her side of the roadway ahead of her… completely washed out. The distance between her and the truck continuously making its way towards her, was growing shorter. She didn't have enough time to drive around it.

She slammed on her brakes. The tire of her VW Bug, had little or no friction on the flooded highway. Her car began to spin, and before Brooke knew it, all four wheels had left the highway and landed her car roughly in the ditch.

Brooke finally broke down in sobs. Her hands still gripping the steering wheel of her now still car. She rested her head against it, and let her tears pour down her cheeks.

She was left alone with the silence, that was so comforting, yet disturbing at the same time. She could hear the light tapping of raindrops on the roof, and the wind rattling against her door. She closed her eyes, feeling something warm running past her temple, she allowed herself to drift asleep.

_**Ouch I have lost myself again  
Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,  
Yeah I think that I might break  
I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe**_

The owner of the truck stopped as quickly and safely as possible, got out, and ran across the road to where Brooke's car rested in the ditch. He wasted no time in opening the car door and peering in at a girl who was passed out on her steering wheel. As least he hoped she was only passed out.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?!" He breathed deeply, out of fear and exhaustion. He carefully rose Brooke up, just enough so that he could see her face, "Brooke?! Is that you?! Oh my God! I gotta get you out of here." The male lifted Brooke into his arms and carried her away from the steaming wreck.

* * *

The doors of Scott beach house burst open with a sudden gust of wind and a distraught Haley standing there, tears mingling with the rain that was soaking her.

There weren't many people left at the house, most had went home due to the storm. Those who were there, however, thought Haley had completely lost her mind.

Haley put her hands to her head, running her fingers though her saturated hair. She looked around. Everyone was seeming to have a great time. Brooke was supposed to be here, drinking and having fun. Haley prayed for even the slightest chance that she had made her way here.

She zig-zaged her way through the people, those who were staring oddly at her, and those who didn't even notice her presence. She checked in every room that she could find, occasionally walking in on scenes that normally would have embarrassed the hell out of her.

No Brooke.

Someone came up behind her and with a slight tap on a shoulder, Haley turned around with a start, "Brooke?" she shouted.

It wasn't her.

Instead there was tallish guy with blue eyes staring back at her. Also, Haley noticed the guy used maybe a little too much hair products. She knew who he was… Chris Keller, the seemingly cocky best friend of Nathan. He seemed a little taken aback from Haley's sudden burst of speech though, "Ahh, no. I'm sorry… Haley, right? Is that who you're looking for? Brooke?" He looked like he genuinely cared.

"Yeah," Haley spoke in high pitched voice, much like Brooke's whenever she was upset, "Please tell me you've seen her?" she pleaded, her eyes filled with tears and emotion.

"She's the one you always hang around with in school right? Dark hair? Dimples?" Haley nodded, causing a tear to roll down her face. Chris smiled a little and with his thumb, gently wiped it away from her cheek, "I'm sorry, I never saw her. I don't think she was here."

"Oh God! I need to find her! I have to go!" Haley turned on her heel quickly to leave. She would have tripped over a coffee table behind her, had it not been for Chris's hand that caught her, mid-fall, and pulled her back towards him. He spoke softly, "Let me help."

Haley folded into his arms and let her knees buckle under the pressure. He put his arms around her and held her up, making sure she didn't fall… although maybe in one way, he wanted her to. She began to cry into his chest, after mumbling a tearful 'thank you' between sobs.

Across the room, a pair of dark envious eyes watched as Haley James was being held in the arms of a guy. Arms that should have been his. In fact, Haley James was being held in the arms of his best friend. Nathan Scott tilted a cup of liquor towards his lips and turned away.

_**Be my friend  
Hold me, wrap me up  
Unfold me  
I am small  
I'm needy  
Warm me up  
And breathe me**_

* * *

A distraught Lucas Scott looked down at the girl in his arms. He couldn't believe what had just taken place before his eyes. He knew the car wouldn't have made it past the washed out section of the road, and there was no chance in stopping in time. He couldn't have just kept going. He needed to find out if the person was okay.

When he had first seen Brooke in that car, everything seemed surreal. He didn't know what it was about this girl, but she always had a knack for making him be someone he normally wouldn't, even when she wasn't watching him.

The rain finally stopped while Lucas carried Brooke back to his truck, where he gently laid her in, on the passenger side, careful to check that she was still breathing. Lucas sighed with relief. She was.

He touched her cheek, still moistened from tears. She was cold. He grabbed a blanket from his backseat and covered her.

Lucas stepped into the truck and shifted it to drive. He wasn't sure what to do or where to go, but from the stench of alcohol coming off Brooke, he didn't think it was best to drive her home.

So he went forward, unknowing where their path would eventually lead.

_**Be my friend  
Hold me, wrap me up  
Unfold me  
I am small  
I'm needy  
Warm me up  
And breathe me**_

Sometimes All you need is that one person who will rescue you from that reality.

* * *

Please let me know if you liked it!

Oh, and the beautiful song I used was _Breathe Me_ by Sia… Its amazing!

Review it pleasssseeeeee xoxox

Britt xxx


	6. One Person To Talk To

Okay.. So here I am again! New month; New update! I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer:** Right… so if you all don't know by now… I don't own One Tree Hill, never have… god I wish I did though…

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**Chapter 6: One Person To Talk To**

As Lucas sat in the driver's seat of his old beat up truck, he peered out his window and watched the moon as it was steadily lowering in preparation for the sun's appearance over the vast horizon. It was 4:37. He repositioned himself, making sure to not move Brooke, whose head was gently placed on his lap. He listened to every breath that she inhaled, and took comfort in the sound of her exhaling. He tucked the blanket tighter around her, ensuring that she'd stay warm.

His knee grazed the set of keys hanging out of the ignition. He noticed his keychain, a small silver cross that his mother had given him a few months back, when he had been given his truck. She, being somewhat religious, said that it was for protection while he was driving. He was sure that her stomach would turn if she knew what its sole purpose was for Lucas; a bottle opener. Lucas chuckled as he let the keychain fall from his fingers, allowing it to chime among the keys it was attached to.

Brooke began to stir in Lucas' lap. The small amount of space in the truck preventing her from shifting in the correct position she wanted to. Her eyes began to flutter. Lucas hadn't realized that he was holding his breath until she had completely risen off of him, and started to rub her eyes.

She looked around, obviously unaware of where she was or what happened earlier that night. Her eyes spotted Lucas and her mouth dropped.

"Wha- What happened? Where am I?" She whimpered. Lucas couldn't help but noticed how much like a child she was in that moment. If she hadn't been so scared, he would have thought she was cute.

Lucas spoke softly and slowly, "The highway was washed out, you lost control of you car."

Brooke's world was spinning, it was hard to keep a focus on one thing. She held a hand to her head, as to ease the pain of the headache she was feeling, and to straighten out the thoughts running through her mind. _Lucas Scott. She was in a car with Lucas Scott!_

"Okay, so how the hell did I end up in a car with you?" Brooke voice became hard and cold.

Lucas looked at her through confused eyes, had she not realized that he rescued her from a car wreck? "Brooke-"

She stopped him before he could even explain, he was probably going to lie anyway, "You know what I don't even want to know, I'm gone!" She opened the passenger door, jumped out, and began to run in the opposite direction of Lucas' truck; directly towards the beach.

Lucas lifted one of his hands and began to scratch the back of his head and whispered to himself, "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

Chris took a left at the intersection and continued his search for Brooke. Haley and himself had been driving around for three hours and so far, there had been no sign of Brooke. They had spent most of the drive talking. He knew that she needed to get her mind off worrying for Brooke, so he asked her questions about her childhood. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked because, twenty minutes into their conversation, she whad begun to laugh. 

She told him that when she 8 years old, she put a dead frog in her 'ex-boyfriend's' locker because he had held hands with another girl in their class. She also said that she had always wanted to be a teacher, and that was the reason why she started at the tutoring center. He also began to open up to her as well. He admitted that his biggest dream was to become a rock star; to travel the country and just enjoy himself while playing the music he loved so much. He had expected her to laugh at him, like everyone else, but she didn't. She said it was great that he was dreaming big, and that he should pursue it with all that he had in him.

He was so happy with the conversation he had with her. He felt like she could be the one person he could be completely honest with. Although maybe the one thing he should have been completely honest with her about was how much his best friend, Nathan Scott, was into her. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

Chris looked at a sleeping Haley by his side, she looked so peaceful. Her head rested against the car door and her arms were folded across her chest. At around 4:00, he could tell that she was exhausted, so he told her to catch some sleep and said that if he saw any sign of Brooke he would wake her up. She reluctantly agreed.

While brushing away a few strands away from her face, he noticed how beautiful she was. He wondered how he had never seen it before, because in that moment, she was undeniable. _Was it possible to fall for someone in just three short hours?_

Chris' attention was taken away form Haley when he spotted a car in the distance. It was just like the one Haley had described to him. He continued to drive until he pulled up next to it. It didn't have too much damage, but overall, it didn't look good.

He nudged Haley softly until she began to sit up. When she saw what he had found, she instinctively lifted a hand to her mouth, and with tears forming with every word, she spoke, "Oh god, where is she?"

Brooke's car was empty.

* * *

Lucas walked down the deserted beach. He knew that Brooke hadn't found her car, considering that she had run in the opposite direction of where her car lay resting. And just as Lucas suspected, a few meters up the sandy path, sat Brooke Davis, staring at the ocean in front of her. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, pulling them closer to her. 

Lucas laughed quietly to himself; his truck had only been parked about 50 meters away to begin with, next to the boardwalk.

"Is this beach taken?" He asked when he finally reached her side.

She didn't even bother to look at him, "There's plenty to go around."

He brushed the sand off his hands after he positioned himself closely next to her.

"I remember…"

"What?" Lucas questioned.

"I remember what happened now, and I'm sorry for freaking out at you. At first I thought that you might have kidnapped me or something."

"Now why would I want to do that? I'm sure you would have been more than willing to come with me on your own free-will." Lucas replied with his famous cocky smirk.

Brooke didn't respond, and it was then that Lucas realized that maybe this wasn't the time for jokes or careless flirting. Something was definitely up with her.

"I'm guessing you pulled me out of the car, so I owe you a thanks," Brooke's words were stiff and blunt, not even holding the slightest hint of emotion.

"You're welcome Brooke, but do you want to tell me how your car ended up in the ditch in the first place?"

"Not really," Brooke scoffed, "but I'm guessing you're not going to take me home until I tell you," She looked him directly in the eye, to which he only smiled, she then turned her head forward to look at the ocean again, "it's simple really. I was drinking and like you said, I lost control of the car."

"I know that I haven't known you very long, but Brooke, you don't seem like the person who would take your car out in the middle of a hurricane after you've been drinking."

'You're right, you don't know me. You don't know what drove me to do this, and you don't even care."

"Who says that I don't care? Tell me what's wrong, Brooke."

Moments of silence passed before Brooke spoke again, her voice weak and fragile.

"They don't know me. Neither of them do. Even after seventeen years, they don't have a clue about who I am." Brooke's eyes never left the ocean in front of her, the waves crashing upon the shore.

"Who doesn't know you, Brooke?" Lucas looked at her with even more concern growing.

"My parents," she let out a small laugh, "If you could even call them that. It was the worst argument we've ever had, mostly because I've never had the courage to stand up to them before. It was horrible."

"What happened?"

Brooke let out a deep breath before continuing, "I was drinking while getting ready for the party and my parents caught me. It's pretty funny how they chose that day to become actual parents. I mean, after seventeen years of not giving a shit about me, they finally decide that they're going to care about what I do. I called them out on it, told them how horrible parents they were, and then practically told them to go to hell."

Lucas noticed that Brooke was shivering in the cool morning's air. She was only wearing thin jacket and jeans. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, to which she gratefully accepted, pulling the jacket tighter around herself. Lucas motioned for Brooke to continue her story, "What did they say?"

"They told me that I was worthless, well my dad did mostly. He said I was never going to be good enough, and that Shane was only with me to get in my 'pants' and that he was probably 'screwing' someone else the whole time we were together."

Lucas suddenly became confused, "Shane?"

Realizing that Lucas had no idea who she was talking about, Brooke knew she had dug herself into a hole. She began to explain, "Shane's my ex-boyfriend, from California. We used to be best friends… since, like kindergarten. We used to talk about anything and everything, and we shared everything together. We were as close as any best friends could be. Then, in high school, we got closer in another way. I think we started going out in April. I had some of the best moments of my life with him. For an entire year, we were inseparable, we had the fairy tale romance. Then, on April 23rd, 11:06 p.m. on a Wednesday night, he sent me an email." Brooke's voice cracked with every word she spoke. Lucas noticed a tear fall down her cheek and land on the breast of his jacket.

"Brooke, if this hurts you, you don't have to tell me." The last thing Luke wanted to do was hurt her more.

She looked at him with tear-stained eyes, "No Luke, I need to do this." He nodded, "The email said that he had found someone else, and that he didn't think it was right that we were 'acting' like friends. He thought we should end it."

"Acting?" Lucas questioned.

"I know. That's what I thought too. I mean, for that entire year, I didn't act once! He was my 'Best Friend' and he was my 'Boyfriend'. I thought everything was fine. After that, we avoided each other in school. We would meet sometimes, and have to face each other in the halls; he seemed like he wasn't even bothered, while my heart was breaking with each glance."

"But you defended him to your father?" Lucas interrupted.

"Yeah, I did. And I'm not sure why I did it. I guess that defending him is easier than accepting the fact that he never really cared about me. The truth is, I know my father's right, and I hate that. I was just another piece of ass to Shane and he got bored with me. It just adds to the many reasons why I'm never good enough. I'm not good enough for my parents and I'm not good enough to be Shane's girlfriend, or even his friend."

"Brooke," Lucas spoke sternly and lifted her chin so that her hazel eyes locked with his blue ones, "Don't ever think that you're not good enough. Shane, he's just an ass. He never knew what he had in front of him, and that is his loss! And as for you're parents, like you said, they don't know you. They don't know the things that are going through you're mind, so don't let them get inside your head."

Brooke smiled, dimples dangerously in full view. She wiped her eyes, "Thanks Lucas."

"No problem," Lucas replied with a smirk, he truly was falling for those dimples. But then again, who wouldn't?

Brooke's eyes once again met the blue ocean. She took in the beautiful crisp scent of the salty ocean. It was a new day, the wind had died away, the birds were singing in the background, and suddenly Brooke realized that things were going to be okay. It was definitely the calm _after_ the storm.

And as Brooke and Lucas sat close together on the beach, they didn't speak; there was an understanding between them. The last ounce of shadow from the night before was chased away as the sun finally appeared over the horizon laid out before them.

_Even when you feel like the shadows have consumed your life, sometimes all you need is one person to talk to, to make them all go away._

* * *

Okay peeps! There it was! I just couldn't resist putting in those lines from 2.09.. I love that episode (**I don't own that either**!) Review it please! I hope you liked it.. But review even if you didn't! 

And now for the thank yous!

**My-Kodak-life** - I completely understand what you're saying, and believe me, their drama isn't over yet.

**Lynn (justlikebrooke)** - Thank you sooooo much! You know I love long reviews just about as much as you do! I love the song too! Its really beautiful and I thought it really suited the chapter. I hope you were okay with the BL interaction in the update, and I hope that I stayed true to the characters.. Because I think that is what I fear the most. Long review again this time I hope:D xoxox

**P (TutorGrrl323)** - Thank you. I knew you wouldn't like the Chris/Haley… and I know you're gonna want to strangle me after this chapter (if you dont want to already).. But it will come down to Naley … it will just take some time. So hold tight, 'buddy' xo

**Kurt** - Haha, thanks kurtie! But you know that I can barely understand anything that you write, right? j/k… Thanks for helping me out and reviewing!

**Bleeding Crimson Regret**, **prettygirl33**, **lilohb**, **JULESM24**, **Treenuh**, **catcat51092**, **whiters**, **Brucas2006**, **Grooviejj-othfan88**, **Lovepink2much**, - Thank you all sooo much for taking the time out to review! They really make my day, and help me to continue writing!

Britt xoxox


	7. One Person To Waste Your Time

_All I can say is that I am IMMENSELY sorry for taking this long to update.. I really lost interest for a while and the inspiration wasn't exactly there. I'm sorry to those who may have lost interest, but hopefully I can make up for it. Please don't lose faith in me. :(_

_A huge thank you to those who reviewed! One of the last reviews that I got really pushed me to finish this chapter :) So to answer your question: I haven't stopped writing .. Just a brief (more like longgg) hiatus lol!_

_And I can't forget my Lynn! You've been amazing! Thank you so much for the support and your latest stories really boosted my inspiration! I'm back in my awesome BL mood:D_

_Here's chapter 7 guys! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ You know I don't own it!_

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**Chapter 7: One Person To Waste Your Time**

_Someday we might find_

_some sacred place in time_

_But until then_

_all we'll share_

_are dreams we left behind_

Has it always been that time passes more slowly when you watch it? When you're waiting for every movement of the slim arm, holding you're breath until you finally notice it change. Why is it then, that when we look back over the time already passed, we wonder how it went so fast?

Time. It's a funny thing really. It limits us to the things we do, and the number of moments in our life we get to experience. Time is said to 'fly when you're having fun', but is time really that vindictive to let you suffer through the sad moments and hard times of your life? Maybe it's just us and how we _choose_ to linger and dwell on those moments.

More importantly, can a certain amount of time change our lives? If an opportunity isn't taken as soon as it is given, will it be lost to us forever?

I guess only time can tell…

---------------

Brooke dug through her closet, making sure no article of clothing went untouched or unanalyzed. It was critical that she get the perfect outfit. Perfect.

Two days had passed since she had her 'minor accident', and as it was now Monday morning, she needed to dress to impress because who knew what kind of rumors would be circulating the school about her today. Brooke was still considered the 'new girl', and it would take very little to ruin her un-defined image. She had to show people that no matter what was being said about her, she was better than petty rumors… even if they weren't exactly all rumor.

Everything that she tried on seemed to be all wrong.

A dress certainly would not do. It was far too flirty and would probably give most people the wrong impression.

She couldn't wear anything too conservative, people would think she was stuck up.

A skirt would be too slutty.

Black was definitely a no-no… hello, emo much?

Instead, Brooke opted for a white oxford with a navy and sky blue argyle sweater vest, matched with a pair of dark skinny leg jeans and knee-high boots.

She judged herself in the mirror and gave herself an acceptable nod.

Perfect.

-------------

Her car was still in the garage, as Lucas had generously offered to mend the 'minor' dent in the hood. So that would mean a ride to school with Haley.

Lucas had dropped her off on Saturday morning after watching the sun rise together on the beach. Nothing had happened between them. In fact, after Brooke's explanation of the night's events and her past history, they didn't talk much at all. They both stayed silent, but not in an awkward silence, it was comfortable actually. It was like for that one moment, they completely understood each other and felt no need to communicate through words.

So when he did bring her home, she bade him goodbye with a dimpled smile and a sweet kiss on his cheek. If only her parent's reaction to her arrival had been as sweet.

They yelled a lot at first, and Brooke agreed with herself that yelling back would only make things worse. They seemed to be more upset about her car being damaged than their daughter running away and getting into an accident, but this didn't shock Brooke in the slightest. This was their routine; they would be mad at first, then, when Brooke would assure them that the car was being taken care of, they would go back to being the absentee parents that they always were. And in true fashion, they did not disappoint. By Sunday morning, they had practically forgotten about accident and were back to ignoring Brooke to the very best of their abilities.

For once, Brooke had never been happier for things to go back to normal. Now, instead of having to worry about her parents, she had time to worry about school the next day. She hadn't talked to Lucas since he brought her home, and who knew what was going on between them. Right now, Brooke couldn't decide whether she still hated him or not. She would just have to wait until Monday….

---------

"Haley James!" Brooke yelled as she jumped into the front seat of her best friends old car, "What in the world took you so long?"

Haley's face lit up with a grin and she dipped her head, evidently trying to hide her reaction from Brooke, "Umm… I'm sorry. I just got held up with something."

"Or some_one_. Do not try and hide that silly grin from me young lady! You were talking to Chris weren't you?" Brooke knew she was going to win this battle. Haley was horrible at keeping something from her.

"Maybe a little." Haley's cheeks were flushing pink and Brooke could tell that her friend was majorly crushing on this guy. Possibly more than crushing.

"Oh my god J! That's really great! I would never have pegged you for the type of girl to go for Chris Keller, but I guess you've known him longer than I have," Brooke let out a chuckle then added, "So is he good in bed?"

The look in Haley's eyes was absolutely priceless, "Brooke?! What the… I've… We haven't… I haven't even… thought about that yet."

Brooke erupted into laughter, "Haley, calm down! I'm only kidding! I know you would never do that… yet!"

Haley gave Brooke a deathly glare but then also began to laugh.

"So how is it that you two got together anyway?" Brooke asked once the laughter had ceased, "I mean, I only disappear for one night, and suddenly your best friend finds a love interest."

"Actually, it did happen kind of suddenly. I went to Nathan's party looking for you, and it was no secret that I was pretty upset. Chris came up to me and told me that he'd help me look for you. He was really sweet. We talked in his car and got to know each other, and I really like him Brooke. The timing was just... right." Haley smiled at Brooke.

"Well I'm glad to know that my disappearing brought you some happiness."

"Shut up!" Haley hit Brooke's arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"That was for practically giving me a heart attack Friday night! I was terrified that you were going to end up getting hurt, or worse, killed."

"But I didn't. Luckily I ended up fine."

"Yes, luckily. If it hadn't been for Lucas, I might have lost you. I'm really grateful to him," Haley, realizing what she just said, gave a small shudder, "God, I never thought I'd hear myself say those words. So have you talked to him since?"

"Not a word," Brooke gave a tight-lipped smile.

"Ohh, so I guess we'll see how that plays out today?" Haley replied, as she pulled her car into the school's parking lot.

Brooke reached for her bookbag in the backseat, "I guess we will."

"P.S. I really love what you're wearing today! It looks perfect on you!"

Brooke smiled as she stepped out of the car, "Thanks. It was the first thing I grabbed out of my closet this morning."

The car doors shut and the two girls began walking towards the day that was only just beginning to unfold.

---------

Brooke stepped towards her locker and turned the combination lock. At times, she looked over her shoulder, hoping for the possible sight of Lucas. But when she didn't see him around, she grabbed her books and headed for homeroom.

She found Haley sitting in her usual seat, waiting for her to come sit behind her. Brooke also noticed that Lucas' spot was empty and she felt somewhat disappointed. She crashed into the seat next to Haley and laid her heavy books upon the desk.

"Hey B, what's up?"

"He's not here." Brooke replied simply, with an obvious pout playing across her lips.

Haley glanced towards Lucas' empty seat and back towards Brooke, "And you're disappointed?"

"Yeah, a little." She responded as if her answer surprised her as well.

"Wow, there has certainly been some development since last week's, 'I think I hate him',"

"Well, he did sort of rescue me and I didn't really get a chance to thank him… properly." Brooke traced the contours of her math book, purposely not looking at Haley.

"Is this going to get sexual?"

"No! It's just that, maybe I was wrong to believe that Lucas Scott was completely soulless. Maybe we could even be friends." Brooke smiled to herself for the idea of getting closer to Lucas gave her a warm feeling.

Haley replied, cocking one eyebrow, "I still don't believe that you only want to be his friend."

A laugh escaped Brooke and she replied, "We'll see."

With that, the bell for the dismissal of homeroom rang. Brooke gathered her books and ventured to her first class, feeling somewhat sad that Lucas wouldn't be bothering her from his normal seat behind her.

It was going to be a long day.

------------

"…So this wave refraction makes it so that waves hit the shore parallel to the shoreline. Does anyone know how or why this happens?" Brooke's geography teacher droned on about a topic Brooke could really care less about. What did wave refraction or the "straightening out" of a shoreline have to do with her life besides reminding her that she needed to buy a new straightener. It was only the first class and it still felt as though the day had been going on forever.

She took her pen which was marvelous shade of pink and began to draw on the inside cover of her textbook. She used her loopy, curvaceous writing to spell out her name, carefully placing small hearts around it decoratively.

She looked at her name and suddenly felt the small impulse to add another name to the end of it, just to see how it looked together. _'Brooke Scott', _she thought… it sounded right. As her pen was placed at the end of her first name, she stopped herself before she could write the 'S'. _Seriously… Brooke 'Scott'_? Was she twelve?

And plus, she supposedly 'hated' this guy… why the hell was she suddenly wanting his last name? _God… boys and high school could be so complicated sometimes_.

Brooke was jolted back into reality with the sound of the teacher greeting a student that had just walked through the open classroom door.

"Mr. Scott, it's so great of you to honor us with your presence…" The teacher paused and glanced towards the clock on the wall, "… Forty minutes late. Do you have a late slip for me?"

Brooke watched with wondering eyes as Lucas strutted towards the front of the class and handed the petite teacher a small slip of paper. The teacher gave a nod and Lucas turned to walk towards his seat.

Brooke quickly looked towards her paper, trying to appear as though she hadn't been watching him. As he passed her desk, a set of keys was dropped heavily on her book, right next to her written name. She looked up to meet Lucas' eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. Actually, he didn't seem to be looking at anything, and his face wore an expression that didn't seem to convey any emotion.

He took his seat behind Brooke, and stared to the front of the class. _Was he seriously paying attention in Geography?_

"Hey," Brooke spoke quietly as to not be heard by the other students, or god-forbid, the teacher.

"Your car got finished this morning, so I drove it here for you," Lucas barely glanced at her as he spoke.

Brooke was taken aback by his lack of… well any type of emotion what-so-ever, "Ohh… Thanks. I'll pay you for that later."

"You don't need to do that. It's all taken care of."

"No Lucas, I can pay for it… I-" Brooke was interrupted by her teacher.

"Ms. Davis, if you insist upon talking in my class, I will have to give you detention. There will be plenty of time to flirt with boys outside of class time. So please stop wasting mine."

Brooke turned around to sit straight in her seat and bent her head low. This day was not turning out well at all. But at least now she had something besides her name to think about for the remainder of her Geography class.

--------

Haley was exiting the girl's washroom when Brooke popped up behind her and linked arms with her.

"Okay, this is like the worst day ever!" Brooke whined.

"What happened now, B?"

"Nothing. Everything. It's just, my Geography teacher was being a complete bitch to me today, Lucas came in late and has barely spoken two words to me, let alone look at me, and I sat in gum during recess"

"First of all, I'm going to ignore that you just called a teacher something that I will not repeat. Second of all, I thought you and Lucas were fine after he brought you home? I thought there was this whole 'mutual understanding'?"

"I thought there was too… But I guess not. He just dropped my car keys in front of me and refused to let me pay for the repair costs."

Brooke and Haley had just rounded a corner when Haley had to pull Brooke back from what was in front of them, "Whoa, speak of the devil."

Lucas was stood next to Nathan and a crowd of guys in a circle. They were all unaware of the two girls who had just walked into their territory.

A few of the guys were laughing and Nathan was nudging Lucas, who seemed to have found his normal cocky grin again. Brooke silently moved closer to hear what they were saying.

"… All night, Dude?"

"You're my hero, you know that right?"

"What about Peyton?"

All these questions seemed to be directed towards Lucas.

Lucas grinned and scratched the back of his recently buzzed head, "Well yeah, there still is Peyton to consider, but it's all good."

It was then that Brooke heard her own name roll off the tongue of Tim Smith and her eyes widened in shock, "So you're telling me that you spent the entire night on the beach, alone, with Brooke Davis and you never did anything with her?" Haley's hand reached out and grabbed Brooke's, gripping it tightly.

"Well you know a guy can never kiss and tell." Lucas said with a smirk, "Just let me say this, She's good."

The crowd of guys burst into cheers and Brooke could distinctly hear one of them say, "I knew she was easy," It was then that she knew she must make her presence known.

She controlled her rapid breathing and spoke up, "Excuse me?" She didn't care about the rest of the guys, her voice was directed towards Lucas, and only Lucas.

When he turned to look at her, his breath caught in his throat and the cockiness was wiped from his eyes instantly.

"Brooke… I-"

"Don't even bother. You can go to hell!" Brooke shook free from Haley's strong grip and angrily walked past a speechless Lucas Scott.

--------

_Say it to my face_

_Look me in the eyes_

_And say what you have to say_

_You know we can't erase_

_These words before they bind_

_And turn the final page_

_Ah, here comes alone again_

Brooke walked through the parking lot, trying to find where the hell Lucas parked her car. She didn't care about the rest of the school day, it's not like she would've been able to pay attention anyway. She could hear distant footsteps running towards her; most likely Haley's.

She wasn't shocked however when it was a much deeper voice that called her name.

"Brooke! Please, just wait!" Lucas sounded desperate, but Brooke wasn't going to take it.

She turned to face him, and all the hatred she could generate was glaring up at him, "What do you want?"

"Just give me five seconds to explain!"

"Explain what Lucas? How big of a fuckin' jerk you are? Or how stupid and pathetic I was to actually believe that there was a person inside of you?" When Lucas didn't immediately answer, Brooke let her anger roar, "Come on, now's your time. Explain it to me, 'cause I would REALLY love to know."

"Brooke… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Sorry Luke, time's up." Brooke turned away from Lucas to shield her tear-filled eyes from him. She stormed away, making sure that he would not see the fact that she was crying. He didn't deserve to know that he had gotten so deep under her skin.

"Why are you walking away?" He yelled after her.

She stopped in her tracks, but did not turn to face him. She spoke just loud enough so that he could hear her, "Because you don't mean anything to me, Lucas Scott, and you never will."

Brooke inhaled sharply, and continued to walk away from the guy who definitely meant something to her.

_Sometimes all you need is one person who will waste your time, leaving you to discover that time is only a cruel substitute for a life you should be living; lies being your only escape through the day._

_And so we leave this stage_

_And all our best written lines_

_and all the acts we played_

_Everything's wasted time again_

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_Wow, I actually didn't mean for this chapter to be as long as it is! I hope you enjoyed it and maybe it'll make up for my awful lack of updates lately. I'm really hoping to get better at that!_

_Song lyrics are Wasted Time by Fuel 3_

_Review Guys! They're what made me finish this chapter!_

_Britt xoxo_


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